Israel Daily News Stream 03/27/2012
March 27, 2012 18:49 by Pesach Benson
Everything you need to know about today’s media coverage of Israel and the Mideast.
Palestinians appear restless to confront either their leaders or Israel. Journalist fired for calling Israel’s occupation brutal. And a newspaper correction puts a little-known twist on the Osirak precedent.
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Israel and the Palestinians
• Marwan Barghouti joins the UN/GMJ/PLO dog-pile on Israel. Haaretz describes the Tanzim militia leader’s missive from prison calling for “popular resistance against Israel,” including an end to PA security and economic cooperation, diplomatic and economic boycotts, and a plug for unilateral statehood via the UN.
• Ynet reports of Palestinian efforts on Facebook to organize a general strike in Gaza to protest Hamas and Fatah handling of the fuel crisis.
• Karin Brulliard of the Washington Post examines the PA’s plummeting popularity in the West Bank:
In the West Bank, where a construction boom has slowed and unemployment is high, discontent has centered on the Palestinian Authority leadership, including the technocrat prime minister, Salam Fayyad, who introduced tax increases and other austerity measures. Analysts say those steps have contributed to plunging approval ratings for Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas.
Anger over the measures has combined with long-standing criticism that Fayyad’s strategy of building institutions and improving law and order — widely viewed as successful — have not moved the Palestinians closer to statehood. A bid for recognition at the United Nations is stalled, plans to reconcile the two main Palestinian political factions appear frozen, peace talks with Israel have crumbled, and the Obama administration is not publicly pushing the issue.
• While we’re on the topic of the fuel crisis, AP reporter Diaa Hadid posted the Tweet of the Day about AP retracting a story because of a Hamas lie. Added bonus: clicking on the tweet brings up Hadid’s amusing exchange with fact-checker par-excellence Richard Silverstein.
• Earlier today, I tied together a few of the above pieces to make some sense of it all: The Palestinian Spring: A Sobering Look.
• The PA and Egypt signed intended to end Gaza’s energy crisis — until the next energy crisis. Israel had nothing to do with this; yet, as Maan News describes it, thoses Zionists are always the elephant in the room:
The latest crisis began after Egypt cracked down on tunnels smuggling fuel into Gaza. Egypt, which is also experiencing fuel shortages, urged Hamas to import fuel across its border with Israel.
Hamas refused, citing concerns that Israel would then have the power to block supplies. Meanwhile, Cairo was reluctant to transfer fuel through the Rafah crossing over fears it would exempt Israel from its responsibilities as an occupying power.
• Eye on the UN presents an afternoon at the UN Human Rights Council.
• By quirk or coincidence, I happened to read the following two commentaries back to back. The contrast is stunning, considering the friendly one was printed in a Malaysian newspaper.
• Here’s another example of Comment is Free’s cheap talk devaluing the power of language. Sarah Colborne writes:
Yet Palestinians – both Christian and Muslim – are being driven out of Jerusalem. Just one example of this ethnic cleansing is taking place in Silwan, where 1,000 residents are facing imminent eviction as their homes make way for the King David tourist park.
Message to Sarah: Palestinian squatters on property that doesn’t belong to them have due process in Israeli courts. If it’s the scale that disturbs you, then deal with the reality that Palestinians occupying state-owned land in eastern Jerusalem is widespread. Or, channel your outrage at “ethnic cleansing” in Spain (averaging 200 evictions/day) and Nigeria (20,000 people may be displaced for a waterfront project).
Comfort Douche | Israellycool
9:10 pm
Mar 27, 2012
[...] to think of it, maybe he’s referring to this. Or is it this?Ok, you get the point (hat tip: Honest Reporting). About the Author An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early [...]
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BUTSeriously
9:25 am
Mar 28, 2012
Why is the UN allowing the term OCCUPIED TERRITORY – which law is this based on? At best it is DISPUTED TERRITORY, at worst, it is the result of the corruption of the Balfour for 30 barrels of oil: the greatest Post-W.W.II crime of all.
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Paul Tenenbaum
11:57 pm
Mar 28, 2012
Israel has been using the term: occupied territory. They did.
If you refer to the 1922 agreement, it is a bit late.
Did you mean 30 pieces of silver???? Do you know what the worst post WWII crime is: Rwanda!
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BUTSeriously
11:42 am
Mar 29, 2012
Without disrespect to the Rwanda tragedy, the analogy is flawed. The corruption of the Balfour was, not just morally wrong, it was then and now legally wrong. Here’s the proof Britain engaged in a genocidal aspiration of the Jews – and continues this premise today with immunity and impudence – with no fear of heaven or any Christian yet taking the matter to task..
1. The Balfour Mandate corruption was perpetrated under extreme duress on the heels of W.W.II when the Jews were totally helpless, and after Britain accepted the Mandate as legal treaty. A Mandate is not negotiable under such terms. The duress factor makes Britain’s actions illegal.
Of course, it was also a moral atrocity:
2. The term 2-state compromise for carving off almost “80%’ of a minuscule land begs the question what % is NOT a compromise? Any clues for us?
3. There was never a need for creating Jordan – not after 22 vast & huge Islamic states which never existed before were settled by Britain – a gross misuse by Britain’s caretaker role. These regimes are arguably illegal: unlike with Israel which was re-established with all nations voting at the UN, none voted for any of the regime states, all were created in secret, handed to one Islamic family with no conditions for human rights of others attached, and pushing under the bus a host of nations and peoples that predate both Islam and the Arab race. Clearly, Britain played a non-virtual Judas for 30 barrels of oil, a vindication of Britain’s own biblical doctrines impacting here.
4. CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. Britain’s White Paper barred Jewish refugees fleeing Europe from even the 20% swamp and desert left. Clearly, this was aspiring only of genocide. Shiploads of Jews were sent back to Germany’s camps. Britain went on to instigate all countries to slam their doors to Jewish immigration, including countries like Australia, N.Z., Canada.
5. SERIAL 2-STATE DEMANDS IN THE SAME LAND = GENOCIDE.
Read again Britain’s pompous phony wordage:
“IT WILL BE A HISTORIC COMPROMISE TO GRANT TWO STATES IN PALESTINE – ONE FOR THE JEWS AND ONE FOR THE ARABS” – Churchill.
Noting the above division which created Jordan was never required and an abuse of the agreed Balfour Mandate, Britain is now obsessed with a 3-state while shamelessly calling it a 2-state. Is it a problem of math? Note also the term ARAB is used by Britain – not Palestinians. Guess why!
5. The Re-Transfer of the name Palestinian after 2000 years of exclusive reference to Jews, then from Jews on to those openly panting for another Holocaust is not a confusing agenda. Its like calling the Chinese the real Norwegians, only more formidable. It makes the Nazis more honest than the Brits. This while the main Jewish media, The Jerusalem Post, was called the Palestinian Post under Britain’s nose and when the Arab Muslims hated this name as they do Zionists today before Arafat emerged. Britain does not have a problem with history: she was in the front lines as mercenaries under Rome – destroying Jerusalem, and a witness the name Palestinian was applied to Judea – not an Islamic or Arab land.
You are quite wrong for the analogy of Rwanda. The world was taken by surprise and shock of this event and responded to it with outrage, although belatedly. Not so with what is occurring with Israel!?
It is a pity that Britain, one of the great nations of the modern world, should stoop so low – the descent is palpable. Mysterious also that Britain is now being lashed with the same weapon planed for the Jews: Islamic overwhelming. It is as if 80% of Britain and half her capital is being granted to Shariah people – as a historic compromise – before your eyes? This is surely not negated by the Rwanda tragedy.
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